Portable radiant heater



NOV. 22, 1960 HANSON ET AL 2,961,523

PORTABLE RADIANT HEATER Filed April 27. 1959 5 Sheets-Sheet l J4 5 pi!1532822 1960 J. H. HANSON ET AL 2,961,523

PORTABLE RADIANT HEATER 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 27. 1959 Nov. 22,1960 J. H. HANSON ET AL 2,961,523

PORTABLE RADIANT HEATER Filed April 27, 1959 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Nov. 22,1960 Filed April 27, 1959 J. H. HANSON ET AL PORTABLE RADIANT HEATER 5Sheets-Sheet 4 1960 J. H. HANSON ET AL 2,961,523

PORTABLE RADIANT HEATER Filed April 27. 1959 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 ration,Beverly Hills, Calif., a corporation of Cali fornia Filed Apr. 27, 1959,Ser. No. 809,300

4 Claims. (Cl. 219-19) This invention relates to a facility useful incarrying out a heating operation and more particularly to a facilityincorporating mechanical means for facilitating the movement of aheating or like unit between extended and retracted positions.

It is well known in the metal working art that certain metals and alloysthereof must be heated to a predetermined temperature in order that theymay be fabricated satisfactorily. This is particularly true of titanium,molybdenum, and magnesium sheets and alloys thereof if they are to befabricated without the occurrence of fractures, cracks, tears, etc. Inaddition to the above conditions other unusual conditions areencountered in the fabrication of titanium, molybdenum, magnesium andlike sheets. For example, if sheets of the above type are heated tomaximum allowable temperatures and subsequently allowed to cool to lowertemperatures prior'to their fabrication, an elongation loss in workingthe metal will be experienced which'is proportional to the temperaturedrop of the metal.

it is, therefore, recognized that certain types of sheet metal materialmust be heated to a maximum allowable, temperature and subsequentlyfabricated at or as near this temperature as possible. The mostsatisfactory method known to date for carrying out the above opera: tionis by a radiant heating operation of the type disclosed in copendingapplication, U.S. Serial Number 779,243 filed December 9, 1958.

To carry-out the above heating operation it is necessary to shift aheating unit quickly between an extended position in which the heatingunit is positioned directly above a blank to be heated and .a retractedposition in which the heating unit isremovedjfrom the blank to aretracted position. ,In the present disclosure this is accomplished by apositioning facility which includes a housing in which primaryandsecondary assemblies are mounted. The primary assembly includa aplurality of members which are mounted in the housing for relativemovement with respect to the housing and with respect to each other. Themembers provide means on which a radiant heating unit may be mounted andfacilitates the movement thereof between the aforementioned extendedandretracted positions.

An object of this invention is to provide a positioning facility adaptedto facilitate the movement of a heating unit between an extendedposition in which a sheet metal blank may be readily heated and aretracted position in which the heating unit is removed from the blankto be heated.

Another object is to provide a partially enclosed positioning facilityadapted to move a heating unit between nited States Patent mobile and,therefore, easily movable from place to place and is economical tomanufacture.

Although the characteristic features of the present invention areparticularly pointed out in the appended claims, the invention itself,also the manner in which it may be carried out, will be betterunderstood by referring to the following description taken in connectionwith the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specifica tion andin which:

Figure 1 is a sectional view of the positioning facility as disclosedherein taken along the line 1-1 of Figure 2.

Figures 2 and 3 are similar views of the positioning facility asindicated by the line 2-2 in Figure 1; Figure 2 shows certain operatingcomponents of the facility in their extended position while Figure 3ShOWs the same components in their retracted position.

Figures 4 and 5 are fragmentary sectional views of the positioningfacility as indicated by the lines 4-4 and 5-5, respectively, in Figurel.

Figures 6, 7, 8 and 9 are sectional views on an enlarged scale of thepositioning facility as indicated by the lines 6-6, 7-7, 8-8, and 9-9,respectively, in Figure 2.

Referring now to the drawings, a preferred embodiment of the positioningfacility 11 as disclosed herein is shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3. Thefacility 11 includes a housing 12 in which a primary assembly '14,adapted to impart horizontal movement to a heating unit 16. is mounted.Also mounted in the facility 11 is a secondary assembly 17 adapted toimpart vertical movement to the heating unit 16.

The housing 12 on the most part is fabricated from structural membersand sheet material, the sheet material provides protection for operatingcomponents mounted in the facility 11 and impart a cabinet-likeappearance to the facility. As mounted on the structural members theaforementioned sheet material provide top and side walls 18 and 21-24,respectively, for the facility 11. The sheet material completelyinoloses the structural members to provide a closed housing with theexception of its forward side; here the sheet 21 terminates apredetermined distance above the bottom of the facility 11 to provide anopening 26 as best seen in Figures 2 and 3. The housvided adjacent oneof the sprockets 32 and extended and retracted positions and whichpresents a I,

clean appearance free of any protruding structure at such times as saidheating unit is in its retracted position.

Another object is to provide a positioning facility usable in carryingout a radiant heating operation which is simple in design yet rugged inconstructionwhich is ing 12 is further characterized by including anglemembers 27, located adjacent the top 18, adapted to provide support forthe primary and secondary assemblies 14 and 17 in a manner to bedescribed later. The facility 11 is rendered mobile by caster assemblies28. i I

The secondary assembly 17 includes a threaded member 29 mounted at eachcorner of the housing 12 in depending relation from the angle members27. The mem bers 29 are rotatably mounted at their upper ends by meansof thrust bearings 31 and each carries a sprocket 32 at a locationdirectly above the bearings. A con-' tinuous roller chain 33 encirclesthe sprockets 32 in meshing relation and functions to transmit rotarymovement therebetween. An adjustable idler sprocket 34 is pro functionsto remove slack from the chain 33.

Rotary movement is imparted to the right-rear mem ber 29, as viewed inFigure 1, by a bidirectional electric motor 36 acting through areduction gear 37 as shown in Figure 5. The motor 36 and reduction gear37 are mounted on a bracket 38 which in turn is secured to structuralmembers of the housing 12. Rotary move ment which is imparted to theright-rear member '29 through a coupling 39 functionsto raise andlowerthe' primary assembly 14 in a manner which will be described:presently.

The primary assembly 14 includes a supporting frame 41 and also upperand lower extension members 42 and,- 43, respectively. On the most partthe frame 41 is coii structed of tubular-members which are square incross- Section. A pair of side members 44 and 46 are spaced apart adistance slightly less than the width of the housing 12 and are held inspaced relation by fore and aft cross members 47 and 458, respectively.Intermediate members 49-49 are spaced with respect to each other and aresecured to the cross members 47 and 48 at positions between the sidemembers 44 and 46. The members 49--49 have a parallel relation withrespect to the side members 44 and 46., they impart rigidity to theframe 41 and provide means on which the extension members 42 and 43 aremounted. It should .be noted that side members 44 and 46 depend from thecross members 47 and 48 as shown in Figure 4.

The frame 41 is supported in the housing 12 by the members 29 which passthrough threaded bores providedin the ends of the forward member 47 andthrough blocks attached to the aft ends of the side members 44 and 46.It will now be apparent that the frame .41 may be raised or lowered byenergizing the motor 36 to provide rotation in a clockwise orcounterclockwise direction. The relative position of the frame 41 in thehousing 12, as the frame 41 is raised or lowered and may be subject tohorizontal forces, is maintained in its relative position by groovesprovided in each end of the cross member 47 or extensions thereof. Thegrooves formed in the member 47 receive and have a sliding relation onexposed vertically extending flanges of structural mem bers of thehousing 12 as best seen in Figure l.

The upper and lower extension members 42 and 43 are characterized inthat they are channel members of equal length of slightly less extentthan the distance between the fore and aft walls of the housing 12. Thesize of the heating unit 16 is such that it may be passed through theopening 26 and positioned in the housing 12 in a horizontal attitude.The size of the unit 16 is further characterized in that its fore andaft measurement as viewed in Figure 2 is equal to or slightly less thanthe respective length of the members 42 and 43. The members 42- and 43and unit 16 are mounted on the frame 41 in a manner presently describedallowing them to be moved between their retracted and extended positionsas shown in Figures 3 and 2, respectively.

The upper members 42 are movably suspended from the frame 41 by means oftwo pairs of roller assemblies 51-51 and 52-52. The assemblies 51 and 52are located at the aft and forward ends, respectively, of theintermediate members 49.

Each of the roller assemblies 51 includes a yoke member 53 and a pair ofrollers 54-54 of frustro-conical configuration rotatably mounted inopposing relation on the yoke member as shown in Figure 6. By referringto Figures -2 and 6 it will be seen that the webs of the members 42 arereceived between the rollers 54 and the rollers in turn bear on theupper or lower flanges of the members 42 according to the position ofthe members 42 with respect to the frame 41. One leg of the yoke members53 is longer than the other as indicated by the numeral 56 and carries aclip 57.

I Each of the roller assemblies 5252 includes a pair of bracket members58-58 on which a pair of rollers 5454 are rotatably mounted as shown inFigure 7. By referring to Figure 7 it will be seen that the members 42are received between the rollers 54-54 in the same mannor that they arereceived in the assemblies 51.

The lower extension members 43 are movably mounted below the upperextension members 42 in the same manner that the latter members aremounted on the frame 41,. This mounting is accomplished by rollerassemblies 51 mounted on the members 42 in depending relation midwaybetween the ends of the members 42 and assemblies 59, similar inconstruction to the assemblies 51 except that the depending portion 56is omitted, mounted in dependingrelation on the forward ends of themembers 42.

The heating unit 16 is of substantially the same com struction as theheating unit disclosed in the aforementioned copending US. application.The heating unit 16 is movably mounted in depending relation on themembers 43. This mounting is accomplished by guide strips 61 which aresubstantially T-shaped in cross section and are attached to and extendlengthwise along the bottom flanges of the members 43 in an invertedposition as best seen in Figure '8. .Roller assemblies 62, similar tothe roller assemblies 52, are mounted on the top of the unit '16 ,in anupstanding attitude at a position midway between the fore and aft sidesof the unit 16. The assem blies 62 include a pair of cylindrical rollers63-6-3 which ride on guideways 64-64 formed in the member 6 as shown inFigure 9. As mounted rocking tendencies of the unit 16 is precluded byguide blocks 66 mounted on the top of the unit 16 aft of its verticalcenter line. The blocks 66 define grooves 67 which receive flanges ofthe guide strip 61 in sliding relation and also carry clips 57.

Sprockets 68, as best seen in Figure 2, adapted to receive roller chains69 and 70, are rotatably mounted in depending relation on the aft andmid-section portions of the members 42 and 43. The inside runs of thechains 69 are secured to the clips 57 carried by the roller assemblies51 which are mounted on the members 42. The outside runs of the chains69, also carried by the sprockets mounted on the members 42, are securedto clips 57 which are mounted on blocks 71 which in turn are mounted onthe upper flanges of the members 43 at the aft ends thereof as shown inFigure 7. The inside runs of the chain 70, carried by the sprocketsmounted on the members 43, are secured to the clips 57 carried by theassemblies 51 mounted on the members 43 while their outside runs aresecured to the guide blocks 66 as best seen in Figure '8.

With the members 42 and 43 and unit 16 assembled as described above itwill be seen that as fore and aft movements are imparted to the members42 like movements will also be imparted to the members 43 and unit 16 bythe chains 69 and 70. This movement, hereinafter referred to as initialmovement of the members 42, 43 and unit 16, results from the fact thatthe chains 69 are fixedly secured to the roller assemblies 51 (mountedon the members 49) and the blocks 71 while the chains 70 are fixedlysecured to the roller assemblies 51 (mounted on the members 42) and theguide blocks 66.

Simultaneously with the initial movement described above additionalmovement is also imparted to the members 43 and unit 16 by the chains'69 and 7%. For example, as initial movement is imparted to the members42 the chains 69, due to the fact that their inboard runs are secured tofixed structure, viz., the assemblies mounted on the members 49, arecaused to rotate about the sprockets 68. The outboard runs of the chains69 being secured to the blocks 71 they impart an additional movement tothe members 43, hereinafter referred to as auxiliary movement, equal tothe initial movement imparted to the members 42. In other words, for agiven travel of the members 42 the members 43 are caused to travelthrough a distance twice the distance traveled by the members 42.Further, as rigged it will be apparent that the auxiliary travel of themembers 43 will be in the same direction as the initial travel of themembers 42.

In view of the above explanation it will now be apparent that auxiliarytravel will also be imparted to the unit 16. This auxiliary travel willbe equal to the original travel imparted to the members 42 and,therefore, the unit 16 is caused to travel twice as far as the members43 and three times as far as the members 42 as a result of originalmovement of the members 42.

For purposes of illustration, it may be assumed that the members 42, 43and unit 16 are in their retracted position as shown in Figure 3. Now ifan initial movement to the right, approximately equal or slightly lessthan one h fl t dep h 9f the housing 12, is imparted to the members 42it will be seen that the members 42, 43 and unit 16 will be caused toassume their extended position as shown in Figure 2.

Initial movements are imparted to the members 42 by means of a torquetube 72, throw arms 73 and connecting rods 74. The torque tube 72 isrotatably mounted in bearing blocks 7676 which are secured to the aftcrossmember 48. The hub portions of the arms 73 are secured to androtate with the tube 72 while their outer ends are pivotally attached toends of the connecting rods 74. The other ends of the rods 74 arepivotally attached to the members 42 by means of bearing members 77. Thethrow of arms 73 is slightly less than one half the depth of the housing12.

The left hand end of the tube 72, as viewed in Figure 1, extends beyondthe side member 44 and has a spur gear 78 fixdely secured thereto. Thetube 72 is also provided with an additional bearing 79 which is mountedon the side member 44. As mounted the spur gear 78 meshes with drivingand braking gear racks 81 and 82, respectively, as best seen in Figure 4and which will be further described as the disclosure progresses.

The racks 81 and 82 are secured to the free ends of connecting rodscomprising components of a hydraulic actuator 83 and braking cylinder84. The actuator 83 and cylinder 84 are mounted on structural members 86and 87 which are mounted on and depend from the left side member 44 asviewed in Figure 1. The racks 81 and 82 are maintained in meshingrelation with the gear 78 by means of bearing blocks 88 and 89. Theactuator 83 imparts rotary motion to the tube 72 and includes a cylinderand piston operation in a conventional manner, pressurized fluid flowfrom and to the actuator 83 is controlled by conventional valve means(not shown). The breaking cylinder 84 is also of conventionalconstruction including a cylinder and piston functions to slow speed ofthe tube 72 and maintain the latter in fixed positions at such time asthe actuator 83 is rendered inoperative by bypassing fluid from one endof the cylinder 84 to the other.

It will now be seen that the members 42, 43 and unit 16 may be actuatedbetween their retracted and extended positions by directing pressurizedfluid to the actuator 83. Inasmuch as the individual fore and aftdimensions of the members 42, 43 and unit 16 are slightly less than thedepth of the housing 12, it will be seen that the members 42, 43 andunit 16 are located entirely within the housing 12 when they are intheir retracted position as shown in Figure 3. Upon actuation of thearms 73 between aft positions (Figure 3) and forward positions (Figure2) initial movement in a forward direction is imparted to the members42. This initial movement is simultaneously imparted to the member 43and unit 16 due to the fact that the members 42, 43 and unit 16 are tiedtogether by the chains 69 and 7%. Auxiliary movement is alsosimultaneously imparted to the members 43 and unit 16 due to therotation of the chains 69 and 741 on the sprockets 68. Thus initial andauxiliary movements cause the members 42, 43 and unit 16 to assume theirextended position as shown in Figure 2. If the facility 11 is properlypositioned it will now be seen that the unit 16 may be actuated asdesired between its retracted position and its extended position inwhich it may be used to heat a metal sheet of the type previouslydescribed.

In practice limit switches (not shown) are provided to limit the throwof the arms 73 and also to limit the vertical travel of the supportingframe 41. Thus it will be seen that a positioning facility adapted tocarry out the various objects of the invention is provided.

While in order to comply with the statute, the invention has beendescribed in language more or less specific as to structural features,it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the specificfeatures shown, but that the means and construction herein disclosedcomprise a preferred form of putting the invention into effect, and theinvention is therefore claimed in any of its forms or modificationswithin the legitimate and valid scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a positioning facility for carrying out a heating operation thecombination comprising: a supporting structure adapted to rest on agenerally horizontal surface; a support assembly; screw means mountingsaid support assembly in said supporting structure for limited verticalmovement therein; extension means mounted in depending relation on saidsupport assembly for limited horizontal movement thereon; heating meansmounted in depending relation on said extension means for limitedhorizontal movement thereon; actuating means mounted on said supportingstructure including a torque tube and throw arms; the free ends of saidthrow arms being pivotally attached to said extension means andfunctioning to impart initial movement thereto in a horizontal directionwhen moved through a predeterminde angular range; and chain meansmounted between and attached to said extension and heating means wherebysaid initial horizontal movement of said extension means issimultaneously imparted to said heating means.

2. In a positioning facility for carrying out a heating operation thecombination set forth in claim 1: further characterized in that saidchain means includes continuous chains and sprockets mounted on saidextension means; said chains being operationally mounted on saidsprockets to provide inside and outside runs; the inside and outsideruns being respectively fixedly secured to said extension means andheating means in a manner functioning to impart secondary horizontalmovement to said heating unit which is twice as great as the initialhorizontal movement imparted to said extension means.

3. In a positioning facility for carrying out a heating operation thecombination comprising: a supporting structure; a support assemblymounted in said supporting structure; extension means mounted on saidsupport assembly for movement thereon through a predetermined lineardistance with respect to said support assembly; heating means mounted onsaid extension means for linear movement thereon; actuating meansmounted on said supporting structure adapted to impart said linearmovement to said extension means; and chain means mounted on andattached to said extension and heating means whereby the latter iscaused to move through a greater linear distance than said extensionmeans in moving through said predetermined linear distance.

4. In a positioning facility for carrying out a heating operation as setforth in claim 3: further characterized in that said chain meansincludes continuous chains and sprockets mounted on said extensionmeans; said chains being operationally mounted on said sprockets toprovide inside and outside runs; the inside and outside runs beingrespectively fixedly secured to said extension means and heating meansin a manner functioning to impart secondary horizontal movement to saidheating unit which is twice as great as the initial horizontal movementimparted to said extension means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,091,714 Stanley Mar. 31, 1914 1,702,546 Owens et a1 Feb. 19, 19292,583,641 Gaubert et al. Jan. 29, 1952 2,685,635 Newmann Aug. 3, 1954

